In the manufacture of carbon paper, large quantities of waste or scrap trimmings, sometimes in tightly wound rolls, as well as in imperfect full sheets result from the manufacturing process. Since no practical way has heretofore been found for reusing this waste material, it is now almost always burned or buried. The coated paper waste cannot be used as scrap paper for the manufacture of fresh paper stock because of the waxes and pigments in the coating. Attempts have been made to use degreasing solutions or solvents for the purpose of removing the coatings but such solutions are usually toxic and are difficult to remove from the saturated paper. Moreover, processes employing degreasing solutions are so costly as to make them unfeasible for economic reasons.
Unlike ordinary waxed paper and waxed board, carbon paper utilizes a high grade of paper whereby the value of the recovered paper is greater. However, carbon paper is inherently dirty because of the substantial amounts of carbon and other pigments contained in the coatings. Handling of the carbon paper and the separated wax and pigment therefore presents many problems which are not associated with the removal of wax coatings from waxed paper and waxed board wherefore those systems which have been used in the recycling of waxed paper cannot be satisfactorily used with carbon paper.